Squeezed In

It was another "sandwiched" occasion for us— it's when our day of the month (or any special day) slots in another family event. We had Nay's birthday last Valentine's day, Mother's day last month, and Gabi's birthday this June. What we usually do is either mark the day with a cheap to run date, or celebrate two affairs in one activity.

For this month, we tried the Commons located along Valero Street, fronting my office building the Citibank Tower in Makati.

What's hot about this resto is the ambience. My buddy said that it's a cafeteria, sports bar, fine dining place all rolled into one. The first floor is a blend of a canteen and a bar feel, and the second floor looks like an intimate area for dating couples as a well as a good spot for sports enthusiasts (because of the giant screen showing a sports event projected on the opposite wall). The place is relatively small but its high ceiling and the tall mirror mounted on the wall of the stairs make it appear spacious.

Another good thing about this place is its menu— a fusion of Filipino, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish cuisines. You can bring a date or an expat without worrying about your order because you have lots of choices here.

What’s so hot about this resto is the customer service. We have tried other restaurants that also have polite and attentive staff. But in this particular eating place, almost every attendant near you would take his/her time to stop at your table, and check out if you still need anything without being pushy. They wouldn't wait until you empty or even half your bottomless beverage before they give you a refill. They would top up your soup bowl just on time.

What needs warming up about this place is the price relative to the serving size and taste of the food. I mean, the food that we ordered were not bad. But they were just OK. [This is my second visit, and on my first visit, I had the same assessment of the taste. I just didn't pay much attention to the receipt because it was my boss' treat, hehe.] A cup of plain rice costs around P60 (or P65?). We sampled the Crispy Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka, plus two cups of plain rice, and a bottomless iced tea, and we paid around P1,000 (including service charge and VAT). Our bill was almost similar to that of our Agave's visit, but our experience with the latter was way fulfilling and didn't hurt our pocket.

How many bean stamps?

6 out of 10.

I would still recommend this place if you have a date or a foreign visitor, and you prefer an unruffled atmosphere during peak hours (and, of course, when you're already in Makati area). But for a normal lunch break or if you're on a budget, try to stroll along Valero Street for more options (or just go to Greenbelt or Glorietta instead). :)

*****

Happy 46th, buddy ko. *kugos*